The Merseyside derby never lacks drama, but Liverpool head into Sunday's clash at Goodison Park with their squad stretched to breaking point.

Eight first-team players are ruled out of the biggest fixture in the city, leaving Arne Slot with some serious selection headaches as he prepares for his first taste of this particular madness.

The injury list reads like a who's who of key players, though the exact names remain under wraps until closer to kickoff. What we do know is that Liverpool's medical room is busier than the Cavern Club on a Saturday night.

For a fixture that traditionally sees both managers pick their strongest available eleven, having eight players unavailable represents a significant challenge. The derby demands intensity, commitment and bodies willing to throw themselves into every tackle.

Slot will need to get creative with his team selection, potentially giving opportunities to squad players who might not have expected to feature in such a high-stakes encounter. The Dutch manager has already shown he's not afraid to rotate, but doing so in a derby is a different proposition entirely.

Everton will fancy their chances with Liverpool's options limited, though they know better than anyone that injuries don't guarantee anything in this fixture. The blues have their own fitness concerns to navigate.

With European football still very much in Liverpool's sights and the season reaching its business end, managing this injury crisis could define how the campaign concludes.

Original reporting by Anfield Index.